Choosing and finding wood

[Forno Gator]

Re: Choosing and finding wood

Forno Gator - If you don't mind me asking where did you locate the apple wood in BC? I've been trying to find some for the BBQ but haven't had any luck so far.

I received a reply from the fella in BC. He's in Vernon and is still selling cut and split apple wood, pm me and I'll forward you his number. Thx

[Forno Gator]

Re: Choosing and finding wood

The past 3 days I've been cooking everyday with the Forno Oven and have not had a bad pizza or item yet. I've done; pizza, tomatoes with balsamic vinegar and olive oil, potatoes, butterflied whole chicken, green beans with salt and olive oil, asparagus with salt and olive oil, pizza dough like pita bread, and pizza dough in a ball for a crusted soft bread. I do enjoy barbequing and this is much more fun.

I've been burning untreated moldings once the oven is hot and I'm cooking. Mostly poplar, maple and some oak. Oak burns hot and smokes little if the door is open.... if you close the door it smokes quite a bit, as does boards that you just put in the oven such as maple and poplar. I'll let you know what apple wood is like once I get some.

[Kevin0422]

Re: Choosing and finding wood

I have been burning walnut and I smell like I have ran a meat smoker as well. I heard apple wood is great. How is oak for cooking pizza. I need a wood that burns hot and has little smoke. I made sure I stripped the bark, but firing my oven still produced alot of smoke. I like near other homes in a tract so I want the smoke to stop quick when I fire the oven. Any ideas on wood that would help in this and still burn hot

[Forno Gator]

Re: Choosing and finding wood

Is there a trick to keep the smoke to a minimum. Once the fire is going good there is little smoke, and if I keep the door off when I add wood to a good fire there is little smoke, but when I'm getting it going there is quite a bit of smoke. Chime in with your experiences. Thx.

[Forno Gator]

Re: Choosing and finding wood

Just went and had a one day class at Antica Pizzeria, They use only walnut wood. They purchase it from

California Charcoal & Firewood
1518 S Eastern Ave.
Commerce, CA 90040
Tel: 323 260-5390.

They are really nice people and sell it on a 43-47lb bag, each log 16-18 inches for $13 per bag. The have a nice assortment, check out their website!

I took some firewood across the Can/US border and homeland security made me go back to Canada and chuck my wood before they'd let me in. Canada will do the same if I take wood from US to Can. Therefore I can only get wood from up here.... not worth the hassle.

[Forno Gator]

Re: Choosing and finding wood

Forno Gator - If you don't mind me asking where did you locate the apple wood in BC? I've been trying to find some for the BBQ but haven't had any luck so far.

I checked the ad from BC and it is no longer active. I've e-mailed him and am waiting for a response. I believe it is in Kelowna BC.

[C5dad]

Re: Choosing and finding wood

Another source of wood is arborists and tree trimming firms. I picked up a load of mesquite for free. I also watch craigslist during this time of the year in the FREE (one of my favorite words) section. Last week I scored a cord of mesquite as well.

I am still looking to get a chainsaw and get me some oak for a change (tired of smelling like smoked meat after getting the fire set up). I am hoping to talk with some of the Pecan Orchard guys for some limbs as well - used to get it for free when I was in college. Getting Hickory is out of the question due to cost in Aridzona though.

[SCChris]

Re: Choosing and finding wood

Glad to hear that you found walnut.. Let us know how it burns. I've been told that the amount of calories in the wood relates directly to the weight / density of the dry wood.. Is it heavier than oak?

Chris

[Kevin0422]

Re: Choosing and finding wood

Just went and had a one day class at Antica Pizzeria, They use only walnut wood. They purchase it from

California Charcoal & Firewood
1518 S Eastern Ave.
Commerce, CA 90040
Tel: 323 260-5390.

They are really nice people and sell it on a 43-47lb bag, each log 16-18 inches for $13 per bag. The have a nice assortment, check out their website!

[fisherhum]

Re: Choosing and finding wood

Forno Gator - If you don't mind me asking where did you locate the apple wood in BC? I've been trying to find some for the BBQ but haven't had any luck so far.

[Neil2]

Re: Choosing and finding wood

"As long as it burns Im sure you can use it."

Brickie is correct, these things are not fussy. You can burn any kind of normal firewood in them. Since all firewood produces almost the same BTU's per pound, the best value is what ever is cheapest by weight. Ease of hand splitting is also a consideration.

Both the Alberta white birch and poplar will work just fine.

[Bartondad]

Re: Choosing and finding wood

As long as it burns Im sure you can use it.

I agree as long as it is virgin wood. But I do strongly caution against any milled or treated wood. Earlier in this thread it was pointed out that pallets are sent overseas and therefore treated with lots of chemicals to keep bugs out. Using light virgin wood kindling to start your fire and then adding the hard woods for longer burning is the most common way to get things up and running, but now I am partial to keeping a propane "wand burner" handy and just using hard wood with a blast of heat to get the it going.

[brickie in oz]

Re: Choosing and finding wood

As long as it burns Im sure you can use it.

[Forno Gator]

Re: Choosing and finding wood

Our oven is on the way to completion and so starts my hunt for wood. Apple can be bought in Alberta but it's expensive and hard to find... $350 for 1/2 cord delivered split and cut or I can get it in BC for $230/cord (split and cut)... which would cost about $420/cord for me to go pick it up. White Birch is considered our premium local "hard" wood and easy to find. Can seasoned White Birch be used in the forno oven or is the bark too sooty?? Anyone here use it regularly? Also Poplar is easy to get and the least expensive local wood, anyone use that?

[Bartondad]

Re: Choosing and finding wood

Just shows you that different woods are abundant in different places, I can't imagine burning mohagany either. We don't grow much of it in the northwest. @Tscarborough-But I do stop short of burning any milled wood also, because you don't know what chemicals its been treated with- especially pallet wood, that I know some people use. Also hardwoods do tend to stay moist longer and are harder to split, but once dry burn longer.